Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, Ciphers of the Past
by GlaceonGirl2
Summary: A shy Jolteon meets three Eeveelutions: an outgoing and talkative Espeon, a mischievous and hot-headed Flareon, and a quiet and caring Glaceon. They form a team, join a guild and before long a friendly competition happens between their guild and another! But the opposing guild has secrets and their team aren't following rules. What will happen to our team when they find them out?
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning of a Long Road

Hello! This is a story that I'm working with FallingStarsJolteon! They already have a story up that goes along with "That Sylveon!", so check it out! I hope you enjoy our story!

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A Jolteon gulped, looking down the busy street. He should have known though; it was midday on

a weekend, and in the shopping district from the looks of it. Nonetheless, it was still very busy for a relatively small city.

" _Come on Toby, it's just a road. All you need to do is walk down it,_ " the Jolteon pep talked to himself. Finding some confidence, he took a deep breath, exhaled, and started his way down the road.

He was barely a foot or so from where he started before he began to be pushed around. Left and right, Pokémon bumped into him, either apologizing or giving him dirty looks. He soon gave up walking up the road and headed for the nearest seat he could find. It was an old looking bench on the side of the road, next to a small shop that wasn't very busy. He jumped up and sat down on the bench.

He looked back at the direction he had came. Despite all the Pokémon in the way, he could tell that he wasn't very far from his starting point. He sighed then watch the Pokémon that walked past him for a couple of minutes before he closed his eyes.

He felt a small poke on his shoulder, and then another one. He opened his eyes then and right in front of his face was an Espeon.

"Hiya! I thought you were asleep there!" She said in a cheerful manner, giving him a big smile.

"Ahh!" Toby's eyes widened and he jumped up and back, causing him to do an ungraceful flip off against the back of the bench and fall behind it. "O-Ouch…" he mumbled.

The Espeon walked around the bench to get a better look at him. "Hey! Are you okay?" she asked him with a concerned look. He didn't know exactly how to answer, so he just nodded slightly and slowly stood up. "Oh! That's good! I saw you sitting here all by yourself, so I was like, 'Hey! I should talk to him! He looks like a Pokémon that is alone and needed some help around here!' So, is that true? Are you new around here?"

Toby stared at her with his mouth open. She had spoken so fast he barely even knew what she said. He was speechless and didn't know how to respond. The Espeon looked at him curiously, head slightly tilted, before she gave him a huge smile.

"I see! You're the quiet type! Don't worry, I have a friend that's like that! You two would get along I bet!" Her face then brightened up more. "Hey, actually, I had a great idea! Why don't you come with me? My friends and I are meeting up at a little place to eat. It would give you a chance to meet her!"

Toby didn't get a chance to say anything before she bounded off. She came right back though, looking like she just remembered something. "Oh, yeah, forgot to tell you my name! My name is Ella! What is yours?"

"O-oh… i-it's, um, Toby," he responded with a small studder and quiet voice. "Are you sure about that?" Ella teased. Toby looked like he was about to say something, but Ella put a paw up. "Relax! I'm just teasing you! Now come on! We don't want to keep them waiting!" she then bounced off again, but didn't go too far before stopping and turning around. "Come on Toby! The one might wait a long time, but my other friend will start becoming impatient!"

Toby sighed. Even if he didn't want to go, he was being made to. He trotted up to her, then they headed up the road Toby had tried to go up earlier.

Ella attempted to make conversation with him. "So, where ya from? Lots of people come from other towns to buy supplies, so I figure that's why you're here?" _Woah, this girl is super perceptive,_ he thought. "Y-yes, I w-was here to p-pick up s-some food, and a sewing kit."

"A sewing kit?" She questioned. "What for? Did you have a bag that needs patching up? 'Cause sometimes, it's just easier to take it to a shop that could easily fix it up for little coins and make like new again." Toby shook his head. "No? Hmm… I can show you a place that would stock those after we eat. My friends and I need to pick up a couple of things anyway..."

Toby paused. "L-look miss. It's awfully nice of you to offer for me to eat with you, but I'm afraid I can't." "WHAT?! Why not?!" Ella screeched, causing Toby to wince. "Sorry, sorry. But why can't you?" Ella asked. "It's… well…. It wouldn't be polite…." Toby mumbled, embarrassed. Ella took one look at his embarrassed state and burst out laughing. "Polite?! I really could care less, Toby! Please, have lunch with us, I insist."

Toby brightened a little when he saw her large, easy smile. "V-very well. I'll co- WOAH!" Toby interrupted himself as Ella began to pull him down the sidewalk, rudely pushing other pokemon out of the way. "C'mon, poindexter! Sammy's going to be upset if I don't get back soon! I'm paying for lunch, after all!" And so Ella pulled Toby's arm out of it's socket, and Toby apologized to all the pokemon Ella pushed out of the way.

Soon, thanks to Toby's lightning speed and Ella's brutal pushing and shoving, they reached a small cafe on the other side of town. 'Quirky Cafẽ' Read the sign on the door. _Odd name choice_ , Toby thought. Nevertheless, it appeared this is where Ella's friends were, and she pulled him inside. Instantly, Toby felt at home. The smell of coffee, muffins and other pastries filled his nose, and it took him back to his childhood. He had grown up in a cafe, when he had lived with his aunt and uncle, and immediately took to warm, cozy places like this.

Ella noticed the transition. She smiled. "Like it here?" She asked. Toby smiled shyly. "I-It reminds me of… h-home…." He didn't seem inclined to continued on the subject, however, and so Ella didn't press him for detail. _That kind of stuff comes with time and trust_ , she thought. "Anyways, my friends are over there! Hey guys! I have a new friend!"

"A new friend, eh? Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jolteon!" A Flareon greeted him. He had a large smile on his face, and looked at Toby like he was an old friend. "What's your name? I'm Sammy!"

Ella put an arm on Toby's shoulder. "This is Toby! He's a bit of a shy guy, but he's super polite, and I wanted him to have lunch with us!" Toby waved shyly. "H-hello." Sammy took a long gander at Toby's paw. "Hey, I don't know if this is a touchy subject or whatnot, but do you have 6 toes? I may have miscounted, but..." Toby buried his face into his scarf. "Y-yes… I-I was b-born t-that way…" Sammy and Ella noticed his expression. "Hey, it's no worry, pal! Every Pokémon has something that's unique to them!"

Toby smiled nervously. "Oh.. um.. Thanks…" Suddenly, Ella turned. 'Hey! Where's Grace? She's hasn't left, has she? I expected you to be the impatient one, Sammy!" "HEY!"

"Um… what's going on…?" a small voice spoke behind Toby and Ella. They turned around to see a Glaceon of slightly smaller size than usual behind them with a slight confused look. "Oh! There you are! Where were you?" Ella asked. "The washroom…? Did I miss much?" Grace tilted her as she questioned. "Well, I made a new friend! Grace, meet Toby! Toby this is the friend I thought you would get along with, Grace!" Ella said, pushing him forward. Toby once again waved shyly. "G-greetings… i-it's a pleasure to meet you, Grace…" Toby mumbled. Grace gave him another confused look. "Oh. Well, hello. It's also nice to meet you, Toby." There was an awkward silence for about a second, then Ella said.

"Well, now that we are all acquainted, let's sit down! Sammy, I'll sit next to you!" With that, Ella hopped onto the bench next to Sammy. Grace sat down on the bench on the opposite side of the booth. Hesitantly, Toby sat down next to her, giving her so much space that he was practically falling off. Eventually the bartender came. Everyone shouted out what they wanted to eat and drink. When it came to Toby's turn, he asked for coffee and a muffin.

Eventually, everyone's food came. Ella had gotten a Root Beer soda, and a bowl of spaghetti. Sammy ordered a plate of spicy chicken wings, and a glass of milk. Grace ordered a salad, and a glass of water (with extra ice, which Toby noted.) And finally, came Toby's coffee and muffin.

However, when the waiter was setting down his cup, he slipped, and the coffee spilled all over Toby's fur. Luckily it missed his scarf and his bag. The cafe had been semi-full, and quite noisy, but went silent as the ceramic cup clattered to the floor with a crash. The waiter went to apologize, but Toby simply got up, and walked out the door.

The other three Eeveelutions looked at each other and the two girls rushed out to catch up to Toby. Sammy stuffed his face of his meal before he followed them out.

"Toby!" Ella called out to the Jolteon as the girls went outside. He wasn't that far from them. Sighing, trying his best to be polite, Toby stopped. "Yes?" He asked weakly. "Are… are you okay?" Ella asked hesitantly, showing genuine concern for Toby. She didn't want to strike the wrong chord with him.

"Y-Yeah, j-just fine. ...L-Look, I appreciate you and your group's kindness, but I just… should go home. Thanks for the food, and have a good day." Toby began to trot along down the street, once again being pushed around by the pokemon. "W-Wait!" A voice called out. Toby, Sammy and Ella turned in amazement at the Glaceon running forward. "P-please, wait." Grace said softly.

"Wh-What is it?" Toby asked the smaller Eeveelution. "Um, well…," Grace hesitated, not sure if it was a great idea to do so. Nervous, she continued, "m-my friends and I were going to sign up for this guide nearby here a-and um… if you want to join you can but if you don't want to, I-I totally get it!" Toby paused. _Join a guild? I've generally always lived alone, but…. It seems like she really wants this…_

Sighing, Toby looked up, and smiled shyly but fondly. "V-Very well. I'll join y-you." Grace immediately brightened. "R-really?! Ohmygosh, thank you so much!" She hugged him.

Sammy and Ella looked at each other, and gave one another a "look". "Well, Grace, if you're done hugging him, we should get going." Embarrassed, she quickly let go of him, giving him a sheepishly smile. "Heh, r-right."

Ella widened her eyes as she remembered something. "Oh my-! I forgot to pay for our food!" She then rushed inside to get it sorted out. Grace started to giggle as Sammy laughed so hard that a few Pokémon passing by had turned their heads before they continued on their way.

Toby offered a small smile. These Pokémon were too nice.

Despite, however, Grace's small giggle, she was worried. She knew it wasn't like herself to be so forward to a new Pokémon. What was going on with her? She had this weird feeling. Maybe it was something she ate…

Ella came out of the restaurant, proud to be a law-abiding, meal paying citizen. "C'mon!" She shouted. The group of Eeveelutions turned and began to walk down the street. Toby paused for a moment. The late afternoon light was warming his fur, causing him to smile. This surprised him.

Grace turned back, to see Toby's face turned up, enjoying the light. He was smiling. She laughed. "You coming?" Surprised, Toby looked up. "Y-yes…" He stuttered. Side by side, the group marched off into the future.

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If you made it to the end, thank you so much for reading! My friend and I currently don't have an upload schedule, as we are both in school and have busy lives. I hope you will continue reading!


	2. Ch 2: New Places, Friends, and Enemies

Chapter 2

Sorry for the delay in the story progression, but hopefully we will get more out soon with less time in between! I thank you all who have waited for this coming chapter!

Credit goes to Jolty, since he had done most of this chapter! Oh, and we don't own Pokemon.

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The group walked along the forested back road. Ella and Sammy continued to chat about the new guild they were travelling too. Grace was silent, yet she listened to their conversation about the fantastical adventures they were going to have, and the cool loot they were going to find. Then, she noticed Toby was silent. He had been almost the entire time, and had strayed a small distance from the group.

Slowing down a bit, she shyly nudged him, snapping him back into reality from his thoughts. "O-Oh. H-hello Grace. I-Is something wrong?" Grace shook her head. "No… I was actually going to ask you that…" she voiced out in a quiet tone.

"Oh...I see." Toby said. "W-well, I just.. Have a lot on my mind… Truth be told, I'm sort of nervous about heading to this guild. I've never been to a guild before, so I suppose it's just that I'm nervous about doing something big and new…."

Grace gave him a small smile. "I get that… to be honest with you, I'm nervous as well. But, we have each other, right? That's what counts!" Toby smiled. "I-I suppose that's true…" Ella glanced at Sammy, and proceeded to whisper in his ear. He smiled. "That's a great idea…"

Grace looked up. "What do you think they are talking about now?" "I-I don't know… probably whatever they were talking a-about earlier." "True."

Eventually, the group reached the town that "housed" the guild (haha, funny joke). The guild itself was a bright red tent with a large grate in front. A sign in front of it read "Please step on grate. If there are more than one person, then please step on one at a time.

Ella boldly stepped forwards. "Espeon." Then came Sammy "Flareon!" Next, Grace. "Glaceon!" Finally, Toby stared nervously at the grate. He knew how the identification system worked, and feared it. Nervously, he stepped on the grate. "... Um…. pokemon…. You may enter…." Toby followed the rest of the group down the ladder, his face a bright red.

The four Eeveelutions reached the floor, and were met by a Minccino. "Greetings!" He happily said. "I'm Andrew, and welcome to FireStorm guild. What bring four Eeveelutions here?" "We would like to form a dungeon team." Ella explained. "Hm… okay then. One question: Which of you is the one with 6 toes?" "T-That w-would b-be m-me…" Toby mumbled. He held up his paw. "Hm… well! What a rare and unique part of a pokemon. I was just curious, as I was the person who actually saw it. That's all." Toby gave a small nod.

"Very well. So, if you'll follow me, we will get you all signed up!" With that, the group followed the ever-cheerful Andrew over to a desk, and he hopped onto a low stool, pulling out some kind of form and a quill and ink. "Soooo, 1 Espeon, 1 Flareon, 1 Glaceon and 1 Jolteon! Have you decided on a name yet?" Suddenly, immense conversation was started over the team's new name." Suddenly, everyone turned to Toby. "Well, Toby, you haven't given your two Poke yet? What name do you want?" Sammy asked. Toby paused and mumbled something. "What was that?" Andrew asked. "T-team Cipher…." Toby mumbled. Ella was the first to smile. "Team Cipher it is, then! Andrew, that will be our name! It sound wicked cool and mysterious!" Sammy nodded heartily and Grace smiled. Toby smiled shyly back at them.

Andrew wrote the name down on the form, and tacked it on the spike next to him. "Great! Team Cipher, you are now an official team of the FireStorm Guild! Come this way, I'll show you to your rooms!"

The group of four followed the Minccino through the guild, getting either questioning or welcoming looks from Pokémon they passed by. They soon reached their destination. "Welcome to your new rooms!" Andrew said. The two rooms had simple blank wooden doors. In side, for each were two beds, lots of empty space, and a large window for each."So, w-what shall we d-do when it comes to rooming?" Toby asked "I figured boys together and girls together would make the most sense…."

Grace nodded in agreement. Ella looked at Toby and Grace then at Sammy, in which he just shrugged before she sighed and put on a weak smile. "Yeah… that would, wouldn't it?" she put in. "Alrighty then! Well, I know there isn't much left in the day, but I'll let you guys get comfortable and I will come down when it's dinner time. Then I suggest getting to bed right after. You will be waking up early tomorrow morning! Anyway, I will see you guys later!" Andrew then went on his way. The group watched him go before they turned to their rooms.

Sammy yawned and stretched. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I would like to make myself comfortable for at least a little bit before dinner." He went into the room on the right, but left the door open for Toby, who sighed and followed in suit.

"Well, I guess we have the left room! Come on Grace!" Ella said with her cheerful demeanor back. She trotted into their new room and stopped in the middle. Grace followed in, but before she could get very far, Ella asked, "Oh, could you close the door?" Grace nodded and did so, the door making a small *click* sound when it latched. "Thanks! Gives us some privacy from the guys at least! I had been meaning to talk to you!"

"Eh? What about it? Why couldn't you have done so earlier?" Grace questioned her Espeon friend. "Because it's about the guys, duh! It's time to have some girl talk!" Ella spoke with her usual grin on her face. Grace walked farther away from the door and sat down next to her before saying in a quiet voice, "If it's about your feelings for Sammy, I've had heard you talk about him many times…" She was already starting to lose interest.

The Espeon huffed as her cheeks colored a bit. "Uh, no, not this time. It's more about…. Toby."

Sammy and Toby were getting their sheets, which had been left on their beds, onto their bed frames, when they heard a muffled squeal. "W-wh-what was that?!" Toby asked, fully terrified. Sammy shrugged. "Pretty sure Ella just weirded Grace out. She does that sometimes."

Meanwhile, Grace was recovering from the screech she had admitted that had even surprised her. "W-What do you want to know?!" She asked a little frantically. Ella grinned, knowing the answer before she even got to ask Grace. She wasn't really fazed by her scream. "Well, I was going to ask if you had any interest in him, but looks like I don't really have to." "D-Don't be ridiculous! Of course I don't!" Ella gave her a wry expression. "Are you suuuuuure about that?" Grace looked away. "Just… don't right now…."

There was a knock on the door. Ella went and opened it. Sammy was in the doorway. "Everything okay in here? We heard some kind of scream…." Ella gave her usual smile. "Yep, it's all okay in here!" Sammy gave her a weird look before accepting her answer. "Okay, well, I don't know if you heard, but the dinner bell just rang. Toby's already down there, we should get going." The two girls nodded in agreement and followed Sammy out of their room and to the dining area.

The group sat at a bench table, eating their meal which consisted of rice and peas. It wasn't anything compared to what they had had in town, but it was something, at least. "Sooo…." Ella whispered, turning to the Grace. "Why aren't you sitting next to him?" Grace glared knives at Ella. "STOP." She hissed. And that was when the door to the meal hall opened and all fell quiet.

A Leafeon walked through the door, but she didn't appear to be very friendly. Her eyes were filled with danger and unsaid threats. She walked over to the buffet area, and the chatter seemed to return, only this time, it was quieter, and you could practically feel the fear and danger in the air.

Ella's face scrunched slightly as she thought. She had seen that Leafeon somewhere, but where? As she kept thinking, she glanced over and stopped. "Toby?" The shy Jolteon's face had gotten more terrified than she had ever seen it before, and he breathing was shallow. His whole body was shaking. Instantly, she became worried. "Toby, what's wrong? Do you know that Leafeon?"

Toby was barely able to reply, so he nodded. "S-she's…. She's the-" "Oh, hello Toby. It's been a while, hasn't it?~" Toby was shaking so badly he felt close to fainting. "I-It c-certainly h-h-has, Princess Fern…" Fern smiled. "Oh Toby. You look so… ordinary without your guard outfit." Toby, mustering all the confidence he could, faced her. "I'm sorry Fern, b-but I'm n-not going b-back. I-I can't… go back…" Fern gave him another smile. "I won't persist for you to become my guard once again, but I'd certainly enjoy it." She looked over at the others. "Oh? Are these your new 'friends'? Do you really think they care? No one has ever cared except for-"

"HEY." Ella said, slamming her paws on the table. Pokémon stopped their conversations and meals once again to watch what was going on. The Leafeon looked right at her and she could just feel the negative energy that surrounded Fern, like it could make a Pokémon choke from it. Ella held firm though and gave Fern a glare that almost no Pokémon has seen from her. "You got some nerve saying that!"

Fern blinked, seeming like she wasn't very interested. She then smiled, but Ella was fully aware that it was fake. "Oh. I recognize you… you're Ella Being, aren't you? Daughter of Andrea and Andrew Being. Your family is well known here. And you had an older brother yes? Derek wasn't it?" Ella growled, making Fern grin. She knew that she struck a nerve with the usually cheerful Espeon. "Shame that he has disappeared. Probably couldn't stand being around here, or you, anymore. For all we know, he could be-"

Ella had enough. "DON'T talk about my brother like that!" she screeched. She looked like she was about to physically attack Fern, but Grace had grabbed hold of her, partly to stop Ella from doing so, and because she had started getting a little frightened. Sammy held his anger in him. If it was with any other Pokémon, he would have given them a piece of his mind already. However, with this one being the princess, it was best not to do something rash like attack out of anger. Instead, he growled a warning, "If I was you, I would watch what you say. It doesn't take an Alakazam to figure out you're bothering Toby, so leave him alone." His usual friendly tone had vanished, and the malice in his voice was practically solidified.

Fern may have been a princess, with a significant amount of power behind her, but even she knew when to back out. "Well, well, well. I'm interested to see how this unfolds. Good day to you, Toby's new "friends". Hah, that's a laugh." With that, Fern turned and confidently marched from the Cafeteria.

Despite still shaking, Toby smiled slightly. Grace turned to him. "Are you okay-" She didn't know why, but she felt the urge to smile when he smiled. Sammy and Ella turned. "Toby, how are you feeling?" He seemed to frown slightly when the pokemon talked to him, but still seemed semi-positive. "Oh, she's going to be super annoyed and embarrassed coming back in here." "Why?"

He gestured. "She forgot her meal tray."

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Thank you for staying til the end! Again, sorry for the delay, but hopefully we can keep a good schedule time. And thank you to those who have followed / favorite the story!


	3. Chapter 3: How Everything Blooms

Chapter 3

Hello hello hello! Welcome to the next chapter! This chapter is more than a thousand words than the last two, but it means more adventure, drama, and maybe even romance to happen! In all seriousness, let me know if you like the longer chapter, or keep it shorter so then Jolty and I know what kind of word count to shoot for. Feedback is so much appreciated! Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Again, credit all goes to Jolt doing this chapter! And we don't own anything Pokemon!

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Toby reached into his bag, and pulled out a large, lumpy object. A coat, a custom made one for quadruped Pokemon in the king's army. It was mostly white, save the hoodie, two bands on the midsection of the sleeve, the end of the sleeves, and the bottom rim of the coat, which were all black. There was also a black patch with a silver lightning bolt on it, on the left sleeve. _I never did make it to gold ranking,_ He thought, remembering the days of training with his….

Sighing, he stuffed the battle-worn, yet somehow still a pristine white coat in his bag, and pulled up the sheets on his bed. He hated to admit it, but Fern's words were digging into him. _Do they care? They wouldn't have done all this for me, would they?_ He snuggled into his sheets. He needed sleep….

Sammy walked up the hallway, and turned to face Grace and Ella. "Well, Ladies, I suppose I'll be seeing you on our first job tomorrow!" Grace waved goodnight, and headed into her bedroom. Ella sat next to Sammy in the hallway. "Sooooo…." she mumbled. "Yeah?" Sammy asked. "I...uh...n-nothing…" "You sure? You seem rather distracted." "I'm good." Ella said, seeming to make up her mind on something. Quicker than a Jolteon, she kissed him on the cheek, and booked it into her room. He heard a small squeal from the other side of the ladies's door.

Sammy sat there, blushing. "Wait, what?" He said out loud. Confused and tired, he opened his door, and retired to bed for the night.

The next day….

Sammy awoke, bright and refreshed from a peaceful and restful sleep. Leaving Toby to sleep, he sauntered down to the main foyer area, where he was met by a overly eager Espeon, and a characteristically quiet Glaceon. "Where in the name of Arceus is Toby?! Andrew gave us our first assignment, we have to get going!" Ella held up a sheet of paper with her telekinesis powers. Sammy sighed. "He's still asleep. He didn't even say goodnight. Poor guy's probably exhausted." Ella adopted a disgusted expression. "Oh. RIGHT. Fern…" She turned to Grace. "Could you grab him?" Grace stiffened "W-why me?!" "Because I want to talk to Sammy." Grace sighed. "O-okay…" As Grace moved off, Ella turned to Sammy nervously. "So...a-about last night….

Grace frustratedly sighed as she reached the level where she and her friends resided. Finding the boy's door (Which had their names engraved onto it, as did the girls), she knocked. Hearing no response, she nervously twisted the doorknob and shuffled in. "T-Toby?" she squeaked out. Going over to one bed, she checked it. It was Sammy's. Empty. Slowly, she quaked her way over to the other one. The bedspread was pulled over his entire body, but his ears were still exposed. Sighing, she opened her mouth to speak when he slowly began to move and whimper.

"Okay, what did you want to talk about?" Sammy asked, already guessing the answer. Ella's cheeks flooded with red as she continued. "Erm… I-I guess I should apologize. With Fern talking like that about my brother and... oh, I don't know. I was an emotional wreck and-" she was interrupted by a paw covering her mouth, causing her to stop and stare at Sammy with a surprised look on her face. "Whoa there, slow down or you're going to have you mouth running faster than a Rapidash." Sammy teased her. His expression was soft yet a little more serious as he continued. "And calm down, you don't need to apologize for anything."

"Mhp!?" Ella questioned, still having his paw on her mouth. "Oh, sorry. Forgot that was there." He removed his paw. "It's okay." Sammy sighed contently. "Okay, as long as you feel a little calmer, is there anything you'd like to talk about? You obviously were not yourself last night. But what I'd like to know…" He paused, placing a paw on is cheek. "What was up with THAT last night. It definitely isn't like you to do something along those lines…"

"O-Oh… w-well…. It w-was just a… g-good night k-kiss?" Ella said awkwardly. "Oh.. well.. Okay then…" Sammy said. Ella turned away quickly.

 _Thank Arceus he bought it…. If only he really knew…_

Turning around, she put on her usual confident smile. "So… what do you think is taking Grace so long?"

Grace stared in horror as Toby began to toss and turn violently, practically screaming at this point. "Stop! STOP! I DON'T WANT TO BE A GUARD!"

Grace threw her paws around Toby. "T-Toby! Wake up! It's just a dream!" Toby's eyes snapped open, dilated and panic-driven. Gasping for air, he turned to see Grace's face inches from his. He felt his face begin to burn. "Um, g-good morning Grace. I-Is everything-" He paused as Grace began to hug him.

"Are you okay, Toby? Y-you don't look okay…" She glanced at his eyes, which, though they were calmer, had bags underneath them. He sighed.

"I'm...I'm okay. You shouldn't worry. I'm just… tired is all."

Grace didn't believe that he was okay for a second. "You didn't want to be a guard, did you?" Toby looked away, before sighing. "I didn't…. but... everyone except my parents pushed me to be one… I wanted to be a researcher, a scientist… but everyone in school pressured me into it…. In the end, I regret it. Don't get me wrong, the training was immensely helpful, but I still want to pursue science….." Clearing his head, he looked back at her. "But, you can't change the past, now can you? Well, I suppose we should get going…" He glanced over at a lump under the sheets, before sighing and fishing it out. It was his bag.

Grace watched as he tugged some kind of black-and-white jacket out of the bag he always seemed to carry around. "What's that?" She questioned. "The jacket that I was given at… the academy. I've decided I'm going to wear it today." Grace smiled. "Even though you didn't like being a guard, I'm sure it'll look great on you! Though, the blue striped scarf kind of clashes with it a little…" She paused, blushing. Had she really said he looked great?! "Hm…. I-I suppose you're right…." He paused, glancing at her. "W-would y-you like to h-have it?" He took off the dark and light-blue striped scarf and held it out to her.

Grace looked down at the scarf. "I-I…" Toby's eyes widened. "O-Oh! I-I'm sorry! N-nevermind!" With that, the Jolteon fled from the room, upset with himself. _Dammit! You must have sounded so weird. Compose yourself, Toby! You're NOT their friend, you just met them, for Arceus sake!_

Grace sat their on Toby's bed, dumbfounded. She got up off the bed to follow the Jolteon, when she noticed something. He had left the scarf on his bed. It lay there, daring Grace to take it. Picking it up, she wrapped it around her neck. It smelled like a strangely nice combination of vanilla and ink. Slowly, she followed Toby downstairs, mentally preparing herself for Ella's teasing.

Ella brightened when she saw Toby coming down the hallway, only to frown when she saw the frown on his face. "Hey Toby! Ready for our first day of guild life?" Toby glanced up, and gave a half-hearted smile. "Er… O-Okay?" Ella brightened. "Well, at least you're up! Nice jacket, by the way!"

"It's the jacket of a guard. MY guard." A now-familiar voice replied. Ella turned in disgust as Fern approached. "Oh, don't give me that, Ms. Being. Your BROTHER wouldn't be that way-"

It took all of Sammy's strength to hold the Espeon back from throttling Fern. Ella was in a state that was downright scary, no matter WHO you were. Ella's face was mere inches from Fern's. Sammy glared at Fern. "You better shut up, your highness, or next time? I won't hold her back, I can promise you that." Fern just gave the the three a smile. "Well, I should be going. Good day to you. See you, Toby~" With that, Fern turned and walked off. Toby stared after her. It took him a second to realize he was crying. "I hate her… she pushed me to my limits… she MADE me fight Pokemon for no Arceus-damn reason…." Ella came over and hugged Toby. "Don't worry, I hate her too… We are going to kick her ass, I can promise you that." Suddenly everyone went still when they heard a growling noise.

Surprised, Ella turned to find a very angry looking Grace. "How dare she…" Grace mumbled. Ella suddenly gave a huge smile. "Well, I'm not letting HER ruin my day! Who's with me?!" With that, the group headed out of the guild to their first assignment as a group. "Okay, Team Cipher, according to the order, there is a pokemon in the South Forest who needs a box of berries by noon! It's almost noon now, so let's get going!" Ella yelled.

A short while later…

"Wow, that was pretty easy, actually!" Sammy said, as the group headed back. "Well, duh, silly! We were just delivering a box! "Ella replied. "Though that Pelipper was rather disappointed with our punctuality…" "Huh." Toby said. Grace turned instantly. "W-what's wrong, Toby? Are you okay?!" Toby laughed softly. "Uh...y-yeah, I'm fine...I just thought I was the the only Pokemon my age who said something considered formal, like 'punctuality.'" "Well, yeah, I say it! There's nothing wrong with being polite, Toby! Talk however you'd like!" Ella chirped encouragingly. Toby smiled a little brighter. "O-ok… t-thank you…" Toby shifted away from Grace a little bit, and moved up to examine some kind of flower, and Ella saw an opportunity. She walked up next to Grace.

"So…. how's his scarf feeling? Warm?" Grace turned away, blushing. "N-no!" Ella grinned. "Well, yeah, that wouldn't make sense, as you're an ice type. Be careful not to give him a cold." Grace's face very quickly turned into a flame. Ella's smile only grew larger. "Okay, okay, I'll stop. But still, you two would be so cute! C'mon, you have to admit at LEAST that." Grace just grumbled. Sighing, Ella immediately walked over Sammy and began to speak in a hushed, excited tone.

"Sammy, we HAVE to get them together! They are PERFECT." Sammy cringed slightly. "I don't know, Ella. Toby doesn't seem like the…. "Romantic" type, if you get what I'm saying. I'm pretty sure everyone out in the streets back at the cafe picked up on Grace's feelings for him, except him. Plus, he barely even talks to us." Ella gave him a fake sad face. "Pleeeeeease?" Sammy sighed. "O-Okay, I'll help. I'll try talking to him on lunch break." "Yes! Thanks Sammy, you're literally the best!" She nuzzled him, and ran up to Toby to see the flower he was looking at.

Sammy looked at her. Smiling, he mumbled. "Yeah...I'm the best… that's a huge lie… I'm looking at the best right now…"

Ella smiled as she approached Toby. "Hiya nerd! Whatcha looking at?" Toby turned to her. "This is a flower I haven't seen before..." He was digging through his bag. Pulling out a bottle of ink, and a sketchpad, he set them on the ground. Opening the ink bottle's cap, he unsheathed his claws. Dipping a claw in the ink, he began to sketch out the flower. A few moments, a fairly accurate sketch of the flower was on the formerly blank page. Ella was impressed. "Wow. That's….really impressive, Toby!" Toby blushed. "T-thank you! I-It's no big deal, really-" "Nonsense!" Ella shouted "Sammy, Grace, c'mere!" The two eeveelutions came, and Ella explained Toby's "talent" to them, all the while Toby saying: "It's not a big deal, really!" After a few claps on the back from Sammy, and a smile from Grace, the group traveled home for their next assignment.

However, as they reached home, it began to pour. Water began to rain down in a wild, crazed torrent. Andrew, who apparently was a 2nd in command of some kind , announced that only water types should be going out in such weather, and so the group sat in the small living space that connected their two rooms. Sammy started a fire, and Ella brought up berries and other delights for the team to munch upon. That was when it happened. As the group ate their food, Ella, suddenly filled with courage, snuggled up to Sammy, enjoying the warmth of his fur. Sammy sat there for a moment, rather in shock at his current predicament. Yet, he adapted rather quickly, returning the snuggle with a hug, all the while, both were blushing, trying (and failing) to hide is from each other.

Grace smiled happily at the two. _They are so…. happy together._ She glanced at Toby, who was shyly smiling at the two cuddling eeveelutions, and eating a sour green apple. Looking away, she glanced at Ella and Sammy, who seemed to have separated for a moment. Ella was once again whispering in Sammy's ear, and she heard Sammy say "I'd like that." Whipping her head around Ella announced to the other two eeveelutions: "W-well, I-I'm going to be off to bed now. Good night, everyone! See yo-" Suddenly, there was a large clap of thunder, and Ella bolted over to Sammy again, latching onto him. "SAMMY, I'M SLEEPING WITH YOU TONIGHT!" Sammy immediately went to blushing. "W-what?!" But in the end, Ella could not be convinced out of it, and so Sammy went to bed with a Espeon snuggling into his neck mane.

And so this left Grace and Toby alone in the sitting area. Grace began to watch the slowly dying fire, stealing quick glances at the Jolteon beside her. She remembered all the times Ella had told her she would find someone "special" for her, and time and time again, she had denied it. And yet, here he was, right beside her.

Little to Grace's awareness, Toby had also always denied the claim anyone's love and affection would be towards him. He knew he was weird on so many levels, and, as far as he knew, Grace saw him as a friend, maybe even less.

As Toby got up to add another log to the fire, she borrowed some of Ella's newfound romantic courage and spoke up.

"T-that j-jacket l-looked g-good on you...Y-you should w-wear it m-more often…"

Toby turned, surprised. "O-oh? W-well, t-thank you, i-it's nothing, really….I-uh...still like i-it, e-even if I d-didn't enjoy my t-time as a-a guard."

Grace responded with a bright "Ella" smile. "A-and thank you….f-for the scarf…" "Hey, i-it's no big d-deal….." Toby blushed. He got up, and seemed about to head to bed, when Grace lept up and tackled him. Toby yipped, and the two fell to the floor. Landing on top of him, Grace was surprised by her own actions. _I'm not usually like this, but there is no turning back now… I hope he sees this as a sign..._

Toby sat there, in complete and total shock. Slowly, he opened his mouth to speak. Grace's hope danced, until they all came crashing down in a single fell swoop. "O-Oh, I-I'm so sorry I tripped you!" Grace had used up all her patience. She loved him, she KNEW it, but he was just being stupid. "IDIOT!" She shouted. Slapping him across the face, she marched into her room, and slammed the door shut. Only then did she realize she had made a small mistake. _Oh Arceus, what if he hates me now, what if…_ She wrapped herself in his scarf, and crawled into her bed, using the sheets to muffle her sobs.

Toby, meanwhile, had set himself on the couch, he jaw still tender from the slap. He didn't understand what he had done wrong, but he took it as a sign. _Grace doesn't want to talk to me, does she?_ Settling himself down in a sleeping position, next to the fire, he lulled himself to sleep.

The Next Day

Awoken by the bell that gonged every morning at 5:30, Toby composed himself for the day. He put his goggles on his forehead, grabbed his bag, and went for breakfast. A simple muffin with Oran Berry Jam would do today. He sat in the foyer, waiting patiently. Andrew walked over, a grin on his face.

"So, Toby. How everything going with that Glaceon who was eyeing you the day before." Toby, about to blush, mentally calmed himself and responded: "She d-doesn't like me, if t-that is your question. What is o-our assignment today?" Andrew sighed, noting the Jolteon's clear disinclination to talk. He handed Toby a pamphlet. "The storm last night took a toll on the surrounding area. Your assignment is to make sure the paths and roads are clear." Toby nodded. Andrew left to take care of other jobs, and Toby sat alone in the main area, waiting for his teammates.

Sammy and Ella came first, unsurprisingly pressed close together. They approached Toby, smiling. He smiled back. "I-I'm under the assumption you two are a-a 'thing" n-now?" Ella grinned blushing, while Sammy turned away. "Yep!" "W-well, congratulations! I-I'm very h-happy f-for you!" They just blushed, and cuddled into each other more. As Toby began to explain the assignment, Grace, trotted down the stairs. Toby immediately turned away, and began to start towards the latter that lead to the surface. "W-we should g-get going! There is l-lots of work to do! Hahah…." Grace's ears drooped, and the other two eeveelutions adopted confused looks.

A few hours later, the group was clearing up trees and small branches, while two Lucarios were taking care of the bigger logs. A Toby loaded more up more branches onto the wagon, to take it back to the guild as building materials and firewood, he saw 3 quadruped figures coming up the path. A closer inspection revealed it was Fern's team of pokemon. A ninetales was one, and the other appeared to be something that made his blood run cold….an old friend...a Shiny Sylveon….

While Toby began to form an ulcer and have a panic attack, Fern and her team approached him. Fern smiled. "Good morning, Toby! We were sent to help your team in moving these objects!" Toby looked away, nodding. Fern smiled, more deviously this time. "This is Ezekiel, and I'm sure you remember Breeze?" Toby nodded simply again, and Breeze came over to him, giving him a huge hug. "It's good to see you again, Toby!" "Uh-huh…." Breeze smiled, though her smile seemed a little evil. "What's wrong, happy to see me?" Toby gave her a look "S-shut up…" Breeze burst out laughing. "I'm jokin', poindexter! But listen, I want you to join Fern's team. It would be fun to see you again. You're my closest friend…." Toby stopped her, shaking his head. "I-I'm sorry, but I'm not interested." Breeze shrugged. "Okay, I get it. But I hope this means we can be friends again." "O-Okay, I suppose…" "Great! Let's move these branches, okay?!"

Grace watched, her hopes sinking even more. _Two girls from his past like him?! I really don't stand a chance…_ She felt icy tears stream down her face. Ella noticed this, and began to comfort her. "It's okay...maybe he just isn't the one…." Grace slammed her paws into the ground. "No, your wrong. He is the one, I know it. All the things you feel for Sammy, I feel for him. I just made him afraid of me…." Ella had heard all about Grace's uncharacteristic outbursts last night, and was proud of her close friend for opening up. "You just need to work at it. This new person seems close to him, but I'm sure you can do it…."

Later on that day, Grace placed her lunch tray down next to Toby's and sat down. He was in the restroom, so it gave her time to prepare. Suddenly she heard a familiar voice behind her. "You stay away from him, got it?" She turned to face Fern, who was snarling at the Glaceon. "He-" Suddenly a pair of ribbons grabbed Fern and yanked her away. Breeze handed Fern to Ezekiel, who proceeded to drag her away. Breeze looked at Grace, helping her back up. "Sorry 'bout that. Fern gets….possessive. We'll deal with her. She just really likes Toby." "You don't?" Grace asked. Breeze blushed, looking away. "W-well, I do…. but I can see that you do too." Grace formed a blush of her own. "Listen, I hope we can be friends, even if we both like him. No hard feelings?" Grace smiled. "None at all." Breeze smiled. "Well, I guess this is a little friendly competition now~ See ya'!" Breeze trotted off, and Grace turned around, only to yelp, finding Ella inches from her face. "So, when are you going to make the first move?"

And thus, everyone in a 2 mile radius had their ears bleed.

Toby came back from the bathroom. He cringed, seeing the Glaceon and her tray next to his. Yet he knew he must face punishment for whatever he had done to upset her. Calming himself, he walked over to the table, and sat down. Glace immediately pulled him into a hug. "I-Im sorry….I shouldn't have yelled at you. Please f-forgive me…." Toby smiled shyly "I-I forgive you…"

Grace looked up to see Ella giving her a huge smile. Feeling suddenly self-conscious, Grace pulled away with a slight sudden movement, but gave Toby a shy smile. "Th-Thank you."

* * *

Hope you liked it! Because it's summer time, I should be able to keep a schedule like this, being able to upload a chapter each week. To be honest, I don't know how long each chapter will be, so depending on lengths, it will depend on when chapters get out. I'm sure you guys will get a chapter though at least every other week, but I'll shoot for every week. Anyway, I hope you guys have a good day (or night)!


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